The Non - League thread

[Top Flight]

I think Hampton and Richmond are 7th. They will have to remain in 7th I believe to be allowed entry in to the playoffs. I thought another rule was that you do have to be top 7. So if the Stones overtake Hampton and finish 7th. Then that means Poole, Hungerford and Stones would be 5th, 6th and 7th and all denied. Then Hampton the first eligible team in 8th place would also be denied as well. This means there may only be 3 teams vying in the playoffs. Is that right? Or am I totally wrong on that? Who knows what the rules are anymore.

[Four Of Clubs]

I think Hampton and Richmond are 7th. They will have to remain in 7th I believe to be allowed entry in to the playoffs. I thought another rule was that you do have to be top 7. So if the Stones overtake Hampton and finish 7th. Then that means Poole, Hungerford and Stones would be 5th, 6th and 7th and all denied. Then Hampton the first eligible team in 8th place would also be denied as well. This means there may only be 3 teams vying in the playoffs. Is that right? Or am I totally wrong on that? Who knows what the rules are anymore.

... I'm fairly certain the National League could not have anticipated,at the start of the season, that the clubs finishing 5th through to 7th would all 'fail' grading by whatever margin - it's not as if any of the clubs were unaware of the criteria and the deadline - however financially strained & questionable some of the strictures are.

e.g. they are completely whacked lower down the Pyramid - for STEP05 you seemingly need tannoys AND 100 fixed seats. Holmer Green (nr Wycombe) strongly objected once the new rule was introduced stating their average crowd never rose above 40 for the 6 or so years they'd been in the South Mids Prem - BUT they were sent down nonetheless: eventually scrambled together enough funds to bolt down some second-hand seating, to meet the grade on subsequent promotion..

...as it stands I'm not sure about the - 'must be top 7' - though it would seem warped NOT to enforce one rule without the other if that is the case.

EDIT - found this and TF is right:

League Rules Appx G para 5.2:

Clubs finishing below position 7 will not be considered for Play Off Matches.

-Circumstances dictate they ought to have a fourth semi-finalist for the POs -but they could give Ebbsfleet (or MUFC ) a bye to the Final and as per the rules host the Final at their ground - which I spose is slightly iniquitous for Chelmsford/Dartford - whoever finishes 3rd - as the lowest placed PO contender, could conceivably progress and give one of those two the chance of hosting the Final.

(The Semi-Finals are two-legged at STEP02 -Final: Saturday 13th May on the ground of the club finishing highest in the League - Kick Off 3.00pm

[Christof]

SLP
Leamington 1-0 Slough Town
Merthyr 1-1 Hitchin - Hitchin W 4-1 on pens

indeed - Leamington deserving winners on the night, 1042 attendance, no complaints. Still been a great season - back in Slough, new ground, big attendances, good football, and finishing 12 places higher than last season. Roll on August, with the main stand open, draught beer available, and plenty of hope

[Yellowcoat]

There are also suggestions that even Hampton & Richmond may not have the the required 500 covered seats due to previous (or present) ground graders turning a blind eye to short comings. Adding fuel to the fire they were allowed to continue to proceed to the final of the Middlesex Senior Cup (after a replay) despite playing an illegible player in an earlier round whilst most other clubs would have expelled from the competition.

[tmesis]

Either way, a kick in the teeth for all concerned and beggers the question, why are teams allowed to compete in a league that they can only leave by relegation..

Why should they not be allowed?

Hungerford weren't expecting another promotion push, but there's no reason to bar them from even being in the division. It should have just been clearer much earlier that they wouldn't be allowed in the play-offs.


I can, however, see a point in having a deadline, and not just allow clubs to build if they go up. If you do that it'll encourage clubs to spend on the team rather than facilities, putting clubs who do spend of facilities first at a disadvantage.

like I was saying, what a waste of a season, imagine playing a season full of meaningless friendlies.

Why would they be meaningless friendlies?


Maidenhead can't be promoted to the football league as their ground is way below football league standard. Does that mean they'll be playing meaningless friendlies next season if they go up? Maybe someone should tell their fans and players.

[AthleticoSpizz]

....maybe they'll rumble it for themselves.

So just what are they actually competing for?

[Sutekh]

Apparently there was a big punch up between players in the Binfield v Woodcote Stoke Row Reading Senior Cup semi this week.

Seems Binfield had 2 players sent off and Woodcote had 4 dismissed and the game was abandoned with about 30 mins left and with Woodcote leading at the time.

Obviously this has delayed the organisation of the final (which is apparently scheduled for next month at the Madejski Stadium) while the competition organisers and Oxon and Berks & Bucks FA figure out what to do with the teams

However what I don't understand is why the organisers have now postponed the other semi - Bracknell v Wokingham & Emmbrook - pending their investigation. Seems Wokingham are more than a little hacked off with the authorities as it would have been at their ground on Saturday and they were expecting to make around a grand from bar takings etc. which they now won't be able to do as Lowther Road switches back to cricket only, next week.

Anyone know more?

[Tony Le Mesmer]

....maybe they'll rumble it for themselves.

So just what are they actually competing for?

I think you are missing the point completely. Football clubs do not exist for the sole purpose of winning promotion. Certainly not non professional clubs anyway.

[AthleticoSpizz]

ah, ok, that clears that up then.

[Four Of Clubs]

Apparently there was a big punch up between players in the Binfield v Woodcote Stoke Row Reading Senior Cup semi this week.
Obviously this has delayed the organisation of the final (which is apparently scheduled for next month at the Madejski Stadium) while the competition organisers and Oxon and Berks & Bucks FA figure out what to do with the teams

However what I don't understand is why the organisers have now postponed the other semi - Bracknell v Wokingham & Emmbrook - pending their investigation. Seems Wokingham are more than a little hacked off with the authorities as it would have been at their ground on Saturday and they were expecting to make around a grand from bar takings etc. which they now won't be able to do as Lowther Road switches back to cricket only, next week.

Anyone know more?

There has been a bit of a local media blackout on this .... .with very few club or league site updates on the affair. I'd heard that both Binfield and WSR might well have been kicked out of the competition altogether

...it has been assumed, around local NL circles, that the other S-F has been postponed because, rather than re-instate other losing Q-F teams - most of whom will have packed up for the season by now and hastily arrange another S-F; they'll decree that the Bracknell vs Wokkers tie will be the Final at the MadStad - still doesn't compensate W&E directly for their potential lost revenue for a big crowd at Lowther Rd tomorrow?

... will keep sniffing.....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This season is drawing slowly to a close - here are the dregs available locally over this w/e....

Saturday 29th April

NAT (all KOs in this division @ 12:15)
Aldershot Town v Braintree Town - a point enough to confirm the Sh!ts in the POs- Dover are three points behind and 6 GD worse off
Barrow v Dover Athletic
Dagenham & Redbridge v Woking - a draw here would see the 'Cards' survive - though all three sides just below them would need to win to send them down - Daggers already in the POs and will play FGR over 2 legs.

NATN
Brackley Town v Stalybridge Celtic
NATS
Bath City v Welling United
Bishops Stortford v Truro City
East Thurrock United v Wealdstone
Eastbourne Borough v St Albans City
Ebbsfleet United v Oxford City
Gosport Borough v Whitehawk
Hampton & Richmond Borough v Concord Rangers
Hemel Hempstead Town v Weston-Super-Mare
Hungerford Town v Chelmsford City
Margate v Maidenhead United - Magpies need to match 'Fleet's' result v Oxford City, as they have inferior GD, to stay 2 points ahead - simplest equation would be to win
Poole Town v Dartford

Step 03/04 PO Finals
IL1S Dorking Wanderers v Corinthian-Casuals

Sunday
IL1N PO Final Maldon & Tiptree v Thurrock
Monday
ILP Bognor Regis Town v Dulwich Hamlet
SLP Leamington v Hitchin Town
SL1C Farnborough v Barton Rovers
SL1S&W Salisbury v Tiverton

CCLP
AFC Hayes v Colliers Wood United
North Greenford United v Sutton Common Rovers
CCL1
Bagshot v Cobham @ Fleet Spurs
Cove v Epsom Athletic
South Park Reserves v Staines Lammas

Monday
Southern Combination Cup Final
Sutton Common Rovers v Camberley Town (@ Sutton Utd)

Bluefin Sport Hellenic Supplementary Cup Final
Ardley United v Tuffley Rovers (@ Wantage FC)

Monday
Bluefin Sport Hellenic Challenge Cup Final
Bracknell Town v Highworth Town (@ Abingdon Utd)

Wessex Sydenhams League Cup Final
Baffins Milton Rovers v Sholing (@ AFC Portchester)

- News from the Wessex League – Moneyfields, who led the league virtually all season, had 3 points deducted by the FA at their hearing this week re fielding an ineligible player. That drops them behind Portland Utd – Champions in their first season back at this level.
- However it appears Portland did not apply for promotion to STEP04 so Moneyfields may yet be ‘allowed’ up to the Southern League.

[Stranded]

Re: the ground grading, wouldn't it make sense to have some rule in place that allows a team to get promoted but they have a set window of time to make the relevant changes. So for example:

Hungerford get into the play-offs and win - they are promoted but have to make the relevant changes by 31st December 2017. Failure to do so will see them demoted at the end of the season regardless of where they finish. Means the team get the reward for the success on the pitch whilst having a penalty for not getting the ground in shape quickly.

Could even have a clause that if a team is promoted and only meets the grading requirement during the season, they cannot be promoted the following season if there is a further grading uplift required. Would stop clubs over spending on the squad and not the ground in order to speed through the divisions.

As for the play-offs, I think it would be better to either just disqualify clubs and not replace them - in case of odd numbers, lowest 2 play-off to meet the finalist. If only one club meets the regs, then they get auto promotion.

[tmesis]

....maybe they'll rumble it for themselves.

So just what are they actually competing for?

To do as well as they can in that league.

Also, if you stop Hungerford from going up to the conference south because they can't get promoted from it, then it would make games in the southern league "meaningless friendlies" too, as the wouldn't be able to get promoted from there either.


Reading have no chance of winning the premier league. If we win the play-offs should we stay down rather than play 38 meaningless friendlies next season?

[AthleticoSpizz]

Slightly different scenarios

For the likes of the NLS players, promotion could be the difference of a full-time career or rushing home from work to play football.

As already alluded to elsewhere, the "grading thing" decision should be sorted pre-season, if a team isn't capable of promotion due to "technicalities" then it should be made known by club and organisation to all...up front.

Fans and players can make their own minds up whether it's worth the bother of hanging around for nothing...unlike the current "lead them on" thing

[Top Flight]

Re: the ground grading, wouldn't it make sense to have some rule in place that allows a team to get promoted but they have a set window of time to make the relevant changes. So for example:

Hungerford get into the play-offs and win - they are promoted but have to make the relevant changes by 31st December 2017. Failure to do so will see them demoted at the end of the season regardlesns of where they finish. Means the team get the reward for the success on the pitch whilst having a penalty for not getting the ground in shape quickly.

Could even have a clause that if a team is promoted and only meets the grading requirement during the season, they cannot be promoted the following season if there is a further grading uplift required. Would stop clubs over spending on the squad and not the ground in order to speed through the divisions.

As for the play-offs, I think it would be better to either just disqualify clubs and not replace them - in case of odd numbers, lowest 2 play-off to meet the finalist. If only one club meets the regs, then they get auto promotion.

Once Wealdstone started the work it only took them 1 week to add the extra seats to get the ground up to standard.
It's usually the Wealdstone fans that chip in and develop the ground. A lot of them are builders and have all sorts of good skills.

[Top Flight]

Re: the ground grading, wouldn't it make sense to have some rule in place that allows a team to get promoted but they have a set window of time to make the relevant changes. So for example:

Hungerford get into the play-offs and win - they are promoted but have to make the relevant changes by 31st December 2017. Failure to do so will see them demoted at the end of the season regardless of where they finish. Means the team get the reward for the success on the pitch whilst having a penalty for not getting the ground in shape quickly.

Could even have a clause that if a team is promoted and only meets the grading requirement during the season, they cannot be promoted the following season if there is a further grading uplift required. Would stop clubs over spending on the squad and not the ground in order to speed through the divisions.

As for the play-offs, I think it would be better to either just disqualify clubs and not replace them - in case of odd numbers, lowest 2 play-off to meet the finalist. If only one club meets the regs, then they get auto promotion.

Playoffs are exciting though. Top 7 is fair enough. A team finishing one or two places outside can be allowed in. Once you start finishing 3 or 4 places outside then that starts taking the p!ss. Current rule is alright on that front. I agree with you on everything else you've suggested though.

[Top Flight]

Slightly different scenarios

For the likes of the NLS players, promotion could be the difference of a full-time career or rushing home from work to play football.

As already alluded to elsewhere, the "grading thing" decision should be sorted pre-season, if a team isn't capable of promotion due to "technicalities" then it should be made known by club and organisation to all...up front.

Fans and players can make their own minds up whether it's worth the bother of hanging around for nothing...unlike the current "lead them on" thing

Yeah the lead them on thing is very naughty. I genuinely believed that Wealdstone were still fighting for the playoffs when they beat Hungerford 3-0 on Saturday. They were the only team to have put the seats into place before the appeal hearing. I was surprised that they got blown out just because they weren't in place by March 31. But rules are rules. It's just a shame that the rules don't always apply to the blasers at Hampton and Richmond.

[double d]

York city down. Twice in a row and a slide a la Stockport.

[KC Royal]

Promotion for Maidenhead. I'm gutted though, was very tempted to go (Margate is Maidenhead's closest away game for me) and they won emphatically. Nice weather for it as well.

[Four Of Clubs]

... today's NL scores

Saturday 29th April

Aldershot Town 2-0 Braintree Town
Barrow 2-3 Dover Athletic
Dagenham & Redbridge 1-1 Woking
NATN
Brackley Town 5-2 Stalybridge Celtic
NATS
Bath City 2-1 Welling United
Bishops Stortford 4-0 Truro City
East Thurrock United 1-1 Wealdstone
Eastbourne Borough 3-2 St Albans City
Ebbsfleet United 1-0 Oxford City
Gosport Borough 2-3 Whitehawk
Hampton & Richmond Borough 1-0 Concord Rangers
Hemel Hempstead Town 0-5 Weston-Super-Mare
Hungerford Town 1-1 Chelmsford City
Margate 0-3 Maidenhead United
Poole Town 2-3 Dartford

- All Vanarama Play Offs over 2 legs Wed 3rd and Sunday 7th May
- NAT Aldershot v Tranmere; FGR v D&R
- NATS H&R v Ebbsfleet; Chelmsford v Dartford
- NATN Chorley v Kidderminster; Salford City v FC Halifax Town

IL1S PO Final Dorking Wanderers 0-0 Corinthian-Casuals H win 5-4 on pens

CCLP
AFC Hayes 1-4 Colliers Wood United
North Greenford United 6-0 Sutton Common Rovers
CCL1
Bagshot 0-2 Cobham
Cove 5-1 Epsom Athletic
South Park Reserves 2-2 Staines Lammas

Aldershot Senior Cup S-F
Farnham Town 1-3 Hartley Wintney – HW play Fleet Town in the Final at the Rec on Wed 10th May

Bluefin Sport Hellenic Supplementary Cup Final
Ardley United 2-0 Tuffley Rovers (@ Wantage FC)

[Royalist]

Are maidenhead going full time?